e-STAR TAEA Conference Highlights
“This con gives ference me t ener gy I n he eed t make o the f it throu g all se h mest er.”
Winter 2020
President’s Message TAEA has grown since its humble beginnings. To think that art education in Texas had its roots planted solidly in fertile soil over one hundred years ago is mind boggling. The advances we’ve made together for art education is commendable. At this past year’s conference in Galveston we celebrated those 100 years and all that we’ve accomplished in the years since, and all we hope to accomplish in the future. We had over 2300 in attendance. Thank you to all who participated, who worked, who planned and who organized to make this one of the most memorable conferences ever. Let’s bring in the new year with a vision toward growth, toward exciting new adventures in art education and toward impactful and meaningful lessons that nurture our young artists. I challenge each of you to connect with your artistic roots while at the same time rejuvenating your passion for all it means to be a valued member of TAEA. Let 2020 be the year for exploration, for creativity, and generosity!
-Jami Bevans
Car t r so at A “Th de was a Par ool!” c
Highlighted quotes are from conference survey.
Real World experience for AISD art students
Blank Spaces primary goal is to invest in the youth of our area by offering greater access to the Creative Arts. The local non-profit provides opportunities for young artists to install large-scale murals, curate and manage a local art gallery while leading efforts to contribute to civic beautification in Amarillo and surrounding communities. Interns in the program work alongside professional artists to develop all aspects of mural painting including working with clients/ property owners, idea generation, design conception, materials, application, budget and preservation. They are taught to collaborate with other artists, neighborhood residents, children from diverse schools and cultural backgrounds and giving back to our community to grow skills and work in “real world” artistic endeavors. While large-scale murals are a “big” part of the initiative, interns also curate and operate the Blank Spaces Gallery. Every three months they rotate, install and host a gallery opening featuring student artwork from across the Texas Panhandle. Each month the gallery averages 800 visitors both locally and nationwide. Through this program young artists are receiving the skills, leadership and training support necessary to pursue a wide range of creative-based employment and post-secondary educational opportunities. Blank Spaces promotes the vital and essential need for the Arts in the development and enrichment of a more analytical, well balanced and socially aware young person. By investing in area students, the organization is cultivating the ecology and importance of the Arts in the Texas Panhandle.
The Shops @ 34th Mural
3405 S Western, Amarillo, Texas 79109 This vibrant three-story mural celebrates the open skies, agriculture and clean wind energy of the High Plains. Local spotlights such as Bell Helicopter and the Amarillo Sodpoodles are present, and it nods to the majority of businesses in the shopping center that operate using recycled materials. The public artwork welcomes and thanks the yellow city in which it resides.
Shawn Kennedy, an art teacher at Caprock High School in Amarillo ISD, and executive director of Blank Spaces, said this idea came from striving to get his students out of the classroom and into the art world. Pictured aboved with his team of student interns.
The Hope Garden Mural
2406 SW 3rd, Amarillo, Texas 79106 Offering artistic experiences that expand and serve the community is the basis of this mural. The concept depicts the biological lifecycle through the whimsical and imaginative means of a child and is an homage to the famous Cadillac Ranch. The public artwork is designed entirely by interns who facilitated the installation with 300 community volunteers including local businesses, civic leaders, law enforcement, non-profits, schools and daycare facilities. The Hope Garden consists of 60 raised garden beds and addresses the nutritional needs of patients and underserved families considered food insecure and in need of supplemental and sustainable nutrition.
Snack Pak 4 Kids Mural
2406 SW 3rd, Amarillo, Texas 79106 The SP4K’s mural is the origin of the Blank Spaces Mural program and represents the idea that combining passion with purpose creates meaningful results for creative individuals. The mural depicts local flora and landscapes designed by the founding members of BSM, including present interns, project manager and executive director.
The Vineyards and Nuke City Veg Urban Garden Mural 1202 Cabernet Way, Amarillo, Texas 79124 The Vineyards, an eco-friendly neighborhood, and Nuke City Veg understand urban gardens create more sustainable communities that focus on the fundamentals of being human, just as Blank Spaces does. All three are growing a better experience by investing in each other and the planet. Neighborhood residents are given access to fresh organic produce in addition to those visiting the Amarillo Community Market and local restaurants Nuke City Veg supplies. You can contact Blank Spaces on their Facebook Page.
Yes, You Can be an Advocate for the Arts The Texas Cultural Trust is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to be the leading voice for the arts in education, advocacy, and economic impact in Texas. The Trust’s work is executed through six programs, one of which is Art Can. The Art Can program conducts research and produces data to quantify the impact of the arts and creative sectors on the economy and education in Texas. In 2018, the Trust convened the Arts Education Task Force (AETF), comprised of more than 30 of the state’s top academics, educators, advocates, philanthropists, and leaders from the fields of the arts and arts education. The AETF was charged with defining what constitutes a quality arts education and equitable arts access in Texas public schools. Phase I of the Task Force resulted in the creation of the Arts Education Access Rubric, an evaluation tool to be used by campus and district administrators to identify levels of arts access in education. The Rubric has been piloted in districts across the state and is now available for use by Texas parents, educators, and public policy makers to identify the levels of arts access. The indicators in the Rubric were used to illustrate a heatmap of Texas arts education access in the Art Can Map. The findings illustrated in the Art Can Map reveal inequities in access to fine arts education that exist among school districts and campuses. The Art Can Map serves as a tool to evaluate and advocate for equitable arts access for Texas school children.
Evaluate arts access on your campus and in your district using the Art Can Map. Now in Phase II, the AETF has grown to 46 members and is uniting arts education communities across Texas in creating a unified voice for arts education policy, advocacy, and best practices. The AETF will align messaging and develop a statewide strategic plan for advocacy in support of arts education and equitable access to the arts. Additionally, the Texas Cultural Trust will establish the State of the Arts Council (SOTAC), bringing leaders from the community, state, business, and arts and culture industry together to identify the needs of the Texas arts community and industry to advance priorities that will shape the cultural and economic future of the state. The Trust aims to increase awareness of policies that impact the arts across the state, and support arts organizations to independently mobilize their networks towards the shared goal of equitable arts and culture access for all Texans. The Texas Cultural Trust will release the next State of the Arts Report in February 2021. You can advocate for the arts today by visiting the Art Can website to learn more about the impact the arts have on our state and to contact your district leadership and legislators in support of the arts in your community. We invite you to join us in our efforts to ensure equitable access to the arts for all Texans! The AETF is a component of the Texas Cultural Trust’s Art Can program. Other programs of the Trust include: Texas Young Masters, Texas Women for the Arts, Partners in the Arts, Arts Access and Texas Medal of Arts Awards. Jenny Parry, Director of Programs, Texas Cultural Trust
The 2020 YAM Flag Design Winners!
CONGRATULATIONS TAEA 2019 AWARD WINNERS!
Kelley Quinn McGee
Sara Kersh Outstanding Art Educator
Julie Smith Outstanding Art Educator
Betsy Murphy Outstanding Art Educator
Stacia Gower Outstanding Art Educator
Elementary Division
Middle /Junior High Division
Senior High Division
Higher Ed Division
Supervision/ Administration Division
Emily Clayton Outstanding Art Educator
Donna Aldrich Janice Wiggins
Outstanding Art Educator
Samantha Melvin
Texas Art Educator of the Year
Museum Ed Division
Outstanding Art Educator
Matthew Martinez National Art Honor Society Sponsor of the Year
Kimberly Jenkins
Principal of the Year
Retired Division
2020 Award Nominations Window is Open, Deadline for Nominations is March 6, 2020. Click here for more information on nominating a person you would like to see recognized.
Janene Pearson
Lone Star Advocate
Teaching for Artistic Behavior The Art Education community has been ablaze for several years with such words as “choice based” or “student choice” curriculum, often accompanied by the acronym TAB- that is, Teaching for Artistic Behavior. In an attempt to de-mystify this movement as not just a trend, but as an enduring component of many teachers’ pedagogical practice, let us first identify what TAB is not. TAB is not about just letting students have “centers” all day every day- taking what can be used as a reward for good behavior and allowing access to it at all times. It is also not completely about letting students do just whatever, either. TAB has the potential to maintain the rigor of a classroom centered firmly on teaching students the elements of art and principles of design. It simply shifts the emphasis of the importance from the final product (the artwork) to the
TAB maintains that all students are artists, and the classroom is the studio. With this mindset, the responsibility for creative making process.
coming up with what the final product should be shifts from the teacher to the student. Because students are able to make all of the creative decisions, engagement and motivation to complete projects increases, making overall management better. How is maintaining artistic rigor possible when we give our students this much choice? In The Open Art Room by Ian Sands and Melissa Purtee, a series of “bootcamps” and mini lessons are suggested in order for students to gain understanding and have extended practice with materials, where students will take the time to master them. Some students may need a variety of different levels and stages of teacher directed and student directed lessons- that is to say, everything that lies on the continuum from little choice to complete choice is good and appropriate for authentic learning at some point. TAB is exercise for students’ brains. They will have to learn gradually how to step into an artists’ shoes, at first being guided by elements which can assist in making creative decisions. These elements can look like guiding themes for units of artwork, or a specific selection of materials. As time and creative conditioning continue, the
artists are able to decide what they should make, how to make it, and why it is important that the artwork is made. This gives them the voice to create and respond to the world around them.
A vast amount of information about TAB and resources on how to get started are available at www.teachingforartisticbehavior.org. -Christina Willis First Year Art Educator Cesar Chavez High School HISD
TAEA’s Allen, TX 2020 Conference Chairs
Myron Stennett
Linh Nguyen
Debbie Nicholas
Rhonda Goff
NOVEMBER 12-14, 2020 Delta Hotels Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center 777 Watters Creek Boulevard Allen, TX 75013
Planning for the Future of TAEA Conferences
2021
Kalahari Hotel & Convention Center Austin/Round Rock
2022
McAllen Convention & Performing Arts Center McAllen
2023
Delta Hotel & Watters Creek Convention Center Allen
2024
Galveston Conference – Moody Gardens Hotel & Convention Center
Congratulations to our new Leadership Scholars!
Sakura Stephens Austin ISD
Angela Coffey Aldine ISD
Elizabeth Strobel Amarillo ISD
Ambra Hernandez Northside ISD
Want to learn more about our 2020 Scholars? How about how to become one? Click here.
Attention Members! When was the last time you updated your information in the TAEA Directory?
TAEA Headquarters 14070 Proton Road, Suite 100 Dallas, TX, 75244 Phone: 972.233.9107 Fax: 972.490.4219 E-mail: info@taea.org
Plan your event for Friday, March 05, 2020. Join our BIG audacious goal of 1000 registered Big Art Day events.
#TAEA2020 TAEA Leadership For up to date information on all things Texas Art Education
Ricia Kerber (Commercial Exhibits Director), Maureen Doebbler (Secretary), Tiffany Silverthorne (Vice-President Elect Youth Art Month), Michaelann Kelley (President Elect), Mel Basham (Past President), Sara Chapman (Executive Director), Jami Bevans (President), Christine Grafe (Vice-President Youth Art Month), Pam Arnold (Vice-President Membership), Lisa Saenz-Saldivar (Treasurer), Gretchen Bell (Vice-President Elect Membership)
WWW.TAEA.ORG